Printing-press.



No. 647,406. Patented Apr. l0, |000. `w.| "000mm,

PRINTING PRESS. v

(Application led Nov. 30, 1898.)

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WILLIS II. I-IoDGMAN, or TAUNToN, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIeNon To TI-IE I-IUEER PRINTING PREsScoMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Eatent No. 647,406, dated April 10, 1900. Appncanon mea Noventa-30,1898. slriainofeerfsi. (Nomad.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS K. I-IODGMAN,

of Taunton, county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Printing-Presses, of-which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters onthe drawings .representing like parts.

This invention relates to printing-presses of the class having a continuously-rotating impression-cylinder provided with grippers which at each rotation of the impression-cylinder grasp a sheet fed thereto and in the further rotation of said cylinder present such sheet to the form-cylinder to receive the impression therefrom. In feeding sheets to the impression-cylin der of a printing-press proper register is obtained by the use of suitable front stops called front guides, against which the leading edge of each sheet is fed, the grippers taking such sheets from the position thus de` face or lithographie printing requiring thel most accurate register, because the grippers engage the sheets between these raised under guides and pressing the sheet down upon the surface of the impression-cylinder left the portion on top of the under guides raised in the form of puffs, which in the further rotation of the impression-cylinder were ironed out in the form of wrinkles or else destroyed the register of the sheet. To obviate this difiiculty by feeding the sheets directly upon the moving surface of the rotating impression-cylinder Whenever it is to be clamped and yet permit the front guides to drop below the level ofl the sheet, so as to form an eifectual stop therefor, my United States Patent No. 340,785, dared- Aprii 27, v188e, dis-p closed an impression-cylinder provided with circumferential ribs and depressions, which permitted the sheets to be fed directly upon the revolving `raised portions or ribs, Which thereby served as under4 guides and at the same time permitted the front guides to stand partly or wholly in the intervening` grooves,

`and therefore below the edge of the sheet, as

-best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, taken in connection with the following description, illustrating the best mode now known to me of carrying out my said invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a top or plan view of a portion of a printing-press containing my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical cross-section thereof on the dotted lines or and Fig. 3 a similar section showing the parts in different position.

In the particular embodiment ofimy invention herein selected for illustration, A A indcate usual side frames of a printing-press,

AC the continuously-revolvin g impression-Cylinder,having an impression-surface C mounted on its shaft orjournals D, c the deliverycylinder mounted on a shaft c and having usual grippers e2, P P tight and loose pulleys which by means of the driving-shaft Gr3 and driving-pinions G2 transmit motion to the impression-cylinder gear G, which is fastened on one end of the shaft D and which meshes with the delivery-cylinder G', fastened on one end of the shaft e', F the feedboard, g the impression-cylinder grippers, and g' the bridge-pieces spanning the grippercavity, all of which are and may be of usual or desired construction-such, for instance, as indicated ingeneral in my said Patent No. 340,785, to which reference may be had, like letters indicating like parts.

The shafts carrying the grippers may be supported in any usual or suitable manner, so that they may travel with the cylinder.

In accordance with my present invention IOO I make that portion of the impression-cylinder that lies opposite the impression-surface C and indicated at CX of a diameter substantially that of the surface upon which the edge of the sheet to be printed is clamped by the grippers g. This portion C of the impression-cylinder is thus constituted a moving under guide upon which the leading edges of the sheets may be fed and positioned without in any manner interfering with the continuous rotation of the impression-cylinder.

The sheet is herein indicated by a single line (lettered S) and for clearness is shown slightly raised above the feed-board and under guides to leave a clear spacebeneath, it being understood, however, that in practice the sheet will lie upon the feed-boaid or other support for it. To raise the leading edge of the sheet so fed at the necessarypoints to enable the usual front guidesfproperly to check and position the edge of the sheet, I have provided the feeding edge of the feed-board F with a slight depression o, in and along which in desired adjusted position may be secured in suitable manner the thin preferably flexible strips 0' of paper, leather, rubber, or the like. These strips o act as under guides to conduct the sheets from the feed-.board down to and upon the under-guide surface of the impression-cylinder, and in the normal rotation of the said cylinder these strips preferably contact lightly with the under-guide surface CX thereof, although this is not necessary. The front guides f are preferably forked, as shown at f', Fig. l, or otherwise formed so that a portion or portions thereof may drop below the tops of the strips o', and hence be- Y low the edge of the sheet where laid over the strips 0, to prevent said sheet from slipping through beneath said front guides and destroying the register of the sheet. Thus in the embodiment of myinvention herein shown the sheet is lnainly supported at its leading edge upon the under-guide surface C of the impression-cylinder and at the proper points is raised slightly where it passes over the strips o in front of the front guides, (see Fig. 2, where the sheet is indicated at S,) the strips 0/ being shown as terminating at or close to said front guides.

When in the rotation of the impressioncylinder C the gripper-surface of said cylinder (herein the inclined face c) reaches a position under the strips o', its angle or level is such that it comes evenly under said strips without altering the angle or position of the latter, as best shown in Fig. 3. When the impression-cylinder reaches this position, the grippers are actuated by usual mechanism (not shown) and closed from this position,

Fig. 3, into their position Fig. 2, thus gripping or pressing the edge of the sheet tightly upon the gripping surface or face c, the front guides f being simultaneously raised into their dotted position, Fig. 2, to permit the sheet thus gripped to be carried around on the impression-cylinder and presented to the form-cylinder, (not showin) which in practice will be arranged preferably at the right of the impression-cylinder in Figs. 2 and 3. The grippers ghold the sheet until the latter is engaged by the delivery-cylinder grippers e2, when they are released preparatory to engaging a new sheet, as described.

By the construction described the sheet is clamped'by the grippers g in substantially the plane in which it is held 'by the under-guide surface CX of the impression-cylinder, and the thickness of the strips o is so slight that no appreciable puff or fullness is produced thereby.

The proportions of the parts in the drawings are somewhat changed for the sake of clearness from the proportions as they exist in the actual machine.

The bridge-pieces g are and will be of sufflcient number to hold the sheet straight across ,without substantial depressions.

My invention as claimed is susceptible of various changes and modifications to adapt it to different presses and to different fancies without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention', what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a printing-press, a continuously-revolving impression-cylinder having an underguide surface, combined with under guides adapted to ride upon said under-guide surface, and front guides arranged to cooperate with said under guides, the latter terminating at or near said front guides, substantially as described.

2. In a printing-press, a continuously-rcvolvingimpression-cylinder having an underguide surface, a gripper-cavity and bridges spanning the same, combined with under guides adapted to ride upon the said underguide surface, and cooperate with the latter in positioning the sheet, and the front guides.

3. In a printing-press, front guides, a continuously-revolvingimpression-cylinder having an under-guide surface, a gripper-cavity and bridges spanning the same, and under guides supported independently of said cylinder and arranged to operate in conjunction with the under-guide surface of said impression-cylinder to support the leading edge of the sheet.

4. In a printing-press, a continuously-revolving im pression-cylinder having an underguide surface and a beveled or inclined gripping-surface, and under guides supported independently of said impression-cylinder and standing normally below the highest level of the said gripping-surface to coperate with the under-guide surface of said cylinder in supporting the leading edge of the sheets and the front guides.

5. In a printing-press, a continuously-revolvingimpression-cylinder having a gripper- IOO IIO

cavity, with a bridge or bridges spanning the In testimony whereof I have signed my same, and front guides, combined with under name to this specification in the presence of guides supported independently of the said two subscribing Witnesses.

cylinder and resting upon the said underi VILLIS K. HODGMAN. 5 guide surface and bridge piece or pieces to Witnesses: Y

mise the edge of the sheet for engagement i THOMAS J. DRUMMOND,

with the said front guides. FREDERICK L. EMERY. 

